The Latest: NCAA selection show to start with teams revealed

TBS announcer Ernie Johnson announced Xavier would get a No. 1 seed, but the Musketeers weren’t sure they’d heard him right.

They were gathered in an entertainment room in coach Chris Mack’s house when Johnson mentioned prematurely during the selection show that the Musketeers had the first No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed in their history.

Their reaction: Wait, what?

”I honestly didn’t hear,” top scorer Trevon Bluiett said. ”The volume wasn’t up high enough to hear. J.P. (Macura) leaned back to me and said, `Did he say we have a No. 1 seed?’

”It was a good feeling to be first in school history to be able to do so.”

Xavier’s senior-laden roster has been through both sides of tournament craziness. The Musketeers got the first No. 2 seed in their history in 2016 and lost in the second round to Wisconsin. Last year, they overcame injuries and went on a late run, reaching the Elite Eight.

”The tournament is so unique,” coach Chris Mack said. ”We’ve got to play our best if we have to advance, and I think we’re right on the verge of that. I think our defense grew up the last three weeks of the season. Experience helps, but being ready to play that night is the